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Hannah Peel
Hannah Mary Peel is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer and arranger. She performs both as a solo artist and as a member of the indie rock group The Magnetic North as well as with electronic music act John Foxx in John Foxx and the Maths. She is currently signed to Beggars Group music publishing. Following a successful career as a composer/arranger and musical director for theatre and also as a session musician for several other artists, she launched her solo recording career in 2010 with a sold out, limited edition vinyl release called Rebox through independent record label Static Caravan Recordings. The release featured her unique music box compositions and showcased her individual, eclectic style marking her current reputation as a renowned music box maker. Her music box compositions have now been featured on numerous adverts, artist remixes and the 2012 Anna Karenina (2012 film) featuring Keira Knightly and Jude Law directed by Joe Wright. Early life and education[edit source | editbeta] Hannah Mary Peel was born in Craigavon, County Armagh, Northern Ireland on 1st January 1984. She attended Drumgor Primary School, where her mother was a teacher. At the age of seven, Peel moved with her family to Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Between traveling to and from Ireland and Northern Ireland during her school life, her family's musical influence inspired her to play the piano, violin, cornet and the trombone, performing competitively with brass bands and school orchestras. It was here she also started to compose songs, instrumental music and play with her father and friends in various folk and rock bands. Her school holidays as a child and teenager were spent in Tramore, Rosbeg, County Donegal. In 2004, Peel graduated with a first-class honours degree in music and performance from the Paul McCartney Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. Early career[edit source | editbeta] Following graduation, Peel continued to teach on several arts degrees. Based in Liverpool, Peel performed live and recorded for numerous local bands playing both her wide range of instruments and singing. She worked as a composer, musical director and vocal coach for various shows at the Everyman Theatre, Liverpool Playhouse, Liverpool Empire Theatre and The Lowry in Manchester. At the age of 25, she was the youngest awardee of the European Capital of Culture Artists commissions for the 2008 Liverpool celebrations. Peel curated and produced Liverpool's first AudioVisual festival, featuring installations, unique collaborations and live music performances from artists in New York, London and Liverpool. The main hub of the festival was a week long, large scale projected installation onto the facade of the art deco Mersey Tunnel Air ventQueensway Tunnel. Solo musical career[edit source | editbeta] Hannah Peel first became known by her debut EP Rebox released on Static Caravan Recordings in 2010. It featured music box remixes of Tainted Love made famous by Soft Cell, New Order’s Blue Monday, OMD’s Electricity andCocteau Twins Sugar Hiccup. A limited edition of 300 were pressed onto 7 inch vinyl and promptly sold out. The success of Rebox led to the making of Peel's debut album 'The Broken Wave' released on Static Caravan Recordings in 2011 with producer Mike Lindsay known for his songwriting and production with the band Tunng released by the labels Static caravan and Full Time Hobby and to critical acclaim. A homage to her childhood life of constantly travelling to and from Ireland and Northern Ireland. Whilst on tour promoting 'The Broken Wave' by supporting another Full Time hobby act Erland and the Carnival, Peel became good friends with the band and a collaboration between herself, Gawain Erland Cooper and Simon Tong (The Verve, Blur, Gorillaz, The Good, the Bad & the Queen) resulted in a new band The Magnetic North. They signed to the label Full Time Hobby and released Orkney: Symphony of the Magnetic North in May 2012 to critical acclaim in both the UK and Europe. The album was inspired by visitation in a dream from a young woman called Betty Corrigal who committed suicide and a 1930's travelogue book which led the trio to visit, write and record an album inspired by theOrkney Islands. Hannah Peel has performed and collaborated with the following artists: John Foxx, Blue Roses, Erland and the Carnival, Tunng, Nitin Sawhney, The Unthanks, David Ford, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Duke Special, Blood Red Shoes, Diagrams, and Sandi Thom. Dance[edit source | editbeta] Working primarily with Music box, Peel created several hand-punched pieces of music for the musical score to 'Tezuka' about the life of manga artist Osamu Tezuka by the choreographer and dancer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. In 2012, Peel co-composed the music for the Sadlers Wells Theatre production 'Compass' working alongside film maker and visual artist Tal Rosner and collaborating with choreographers from the Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui company, The Pina Bausch company, Jasmin Vardimon. Discography[edit source | editbeta] Albums[edit source | editbeta] *''The Broken Wave'' (Static Caravan, 31 January 2011)[1] *''Orkney: Symphony of The Magnetic North'' (Full Time Hobby, May 7, 2012)[2] EP[edit source | editbeta] *"Rebox" (Static Caravan Records, 2010) *#"Tainted Love" *#"Blue Monday" *#"Electricity" *#"Sugar Hiccup" Singles[edit source | editbeta] *"You Call This Your Home?" (Static Caravan Records, 2011) *"Hey, Santa" (Static Caravan Records, 2011) *"Rackwick" (Full Time Hobby, 2012) *"Nailhouse EP" (Mitcham Submarine Records, 2013) *#A1: Nailhouse A2; Harbour *"Chloe" (Static Caravan Records, 2013) Category:1984 births Category:Women's music